Could You Elaborate?
by Imaginate07
Summary: Annie is missing her family until her cousin Bethany and her Uncle Christopher come for a visit. Everyone gets more than they bargained for from the visit, especially Carey. The first chapter is pretty tame, so G rating for now. Chapter 1/?
1. arrival

Annie watched the passing world through the window of the tour bus. The dismal gray sky and gentle rainfall were in no relation with her feelings. Today they were going home, if only for a short while. Well, as close to home as she was going to get anytime soon. Her parents were still in the midst of their archaeological dig. But Annie would be staying with the Phillips family, Molly and Jack. Molly's daughter Fi was staying with her aunt in order to pursue a more normal life style. In spite of the fact that her parents were so far away, Annie was excited about the break in Molly's rock n' roll tour. Her older cousin Bethany and Bethany's father Carl were coming for a visit. Although the Phillips and Bells were nearly like family to her, it was definitely going to be a nice change to be with her actual family for a while.  
  
-------------  
  
Jack grinned. He was whooping Carey's butt at Rummy. He looked at the cards in his hand, then back at Carey's face, scrunched in concentration. This would be all too easy. Poker was Carey's game, but it had been Jack's turn to choose the card game they would play. He knew that Rummy was Carey's weak spot and he planned to exploit it in order to finally beat his friend at cards. Jack looked up as Annie shuffled into the room looking excited and anxious. She had been acting oddly all day. Her cousin and uncle were arriving today and Jack knew that she was desperately looking forward to their visit. He only wished she would calm down a bit. Her anxiousness was contagious and her presence was making him feel edgy as well. Annie began pacing in front of the bay window, looking out every few steps.  
  
"Annie!" Jack and Carey said simultaneously. They looked at each other, than back at Annie who was looking rather startled.  
  
"What?" She asked confusedly.  
  
"You are pacing and...making me feel nervous," Jack replied. "Calm down. Sit down. Do something, anything besides acting all weird. They'll be here." Annie looked down at the carpet.  
  
"I know. You guys are right. It's just, I haven't been around my own family in so long. Don't get me wrong, you all are great...but you're not my real family. It'll be really nice to have them around, if just for a little while." Carey nodded and grinned at her.  
  
"We understand Annie, really we do, but wearing a hole in the carpet and making the rest of us nuts is not going to make them get here faster." Annie smiled and opened her mouth to reply but no words ever escaped. A taxi from the airport had pulled in the driveway.  
  
Annie pivoted and bolted out the door. Jack and Carey put down their cards and watched from the doorway as Annie ran out to greet her cousin and uncle, yelling the whole way. A middle-aged man with reddish hair going slightly gray greeted Annie with a smile and a huge bear hug. The next one out of the cab was a tallish young woman with auburn hair spilling over her shoulders. She too hugged Annie tightly and the two began to talk enthusiastically. Carey and Jack went out to meet the guests, Carey wondering about Annie's cousin. He had never seen pictures of Bethany, and he was surprised at how pretty she was. And how old she was. He had expected her to be closer to Annie's age, but now that he saw her, he realized that she was about his own age. He smiled brightly at Bethany, and she smiled back. This was going to be interesting. 


	2. It isn't fair

Hey, I forgot a disclaimer last time, so here it goes. I don't own anything related to So Weird. Bethany and Uncle Christopher are my characters. Too bad Carey isn't mine as well....goes off to dream about Eric Lively This is still kinda introductory to the big story, so keep reading. :)  
  
  
Annie watched as Carey and Bethany smiled at each other. Ideas began forming in her mind. Ideas that quickly went from hugs and kisses to long white dresses and babies. How great would that be? Carey, one of her favorite guys, and Bethany, her favorite cousin. Together. Forever. Annie realized she was getting ahead of herself, and smiled at her silliness. After all, Carey and Bethany didn't even know each other, and a smile could mean anything.  
  
"Bethany and Uncle Christopher, this is Jack Phillips and Carey Bell. Guys, this is my cousin Bethany and my Uncle Christopher." Annie introduced her friends to her relatives and smiled. Everyone shook hands, and they moved into the house. Carey watched Bethany's back as she walked through the front door. There was just something about that girl. She had a bit of that same mysterious quality that Annie had, something almost magical, but there was something else. The only thing he knew for sure was that she was one of the prettiest girls he had seen in a long time.  
----------------  
  
That night, as everyone sat around the dinner table, Carey watched Bethany. He felt that ever since Bethany had arrived he had been watching her. He couldn't help it, he was intrigued. He still couldn't put his finger on what it was that made her so different. Suddenly Bethany's green-brown eyes looked away from Molly, who was talking about life on the road, and met Carey's across the table. Bethany immediately looked down at her plate, then back at Molly. Carey fought to hide his smile.   
  
Stop it, Bethany chastised herself. You have no business doing that. She couldn't be interested in a guy right now, no matter how cute he was and no matter that he kept staring at her. That wasn't why she and her father had come. Bethany was still young, and she wanted to start over, but not now. It was just too soon. I need to get out of here, she thought.   
  
----------------  
Bethany lay on the fold out couch in the Phillip's den. She wanted desperately to go to Annie's room, wake her up, and tell her everything. She couldn't though. Not only would her father be disappointed in her, but she would be putting Annie in danger if Adam ever found out. Adam...ever since she had met Adam her life had been so confusing. Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't she tell her cousin everything? Why couldn't she smile at Carey and not feel guilty and afraid at the same time? Why couldn't she just live her life again? That was all Bethany wanted. To have her life back. It wasn't fair. 


	3. Friends

Bethany woke that morning with troubling thoughts in her head. The urge to tell someone about her   
problems was overwhelming. The only person who knew was her father, and Bethany doubted that he   
truly understood what could happen. Bethany felt a flash of anger towards her father. After all, this was   
his fault. His mistakes were what caused her so much pain now. Bethany felt tears form in her eyes. She   
didn't know how much longer she could keep going through this alone.  
  
"Hey, are you all right?" Bethany looked up, startled, to see Carey's concerned face. She hadn't expected   
to see him there, he lived next door. As if reading her mind he sat down beside her on the couch and   
grinned.  
  
"I practically live here." He said. "You OK? You look upset." Bethany quickly smiled.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine thanks." She said. Carey nodded slowly, as if he didn't really believe her.  
  
"OK." he replied. "Listen, I'm making a doughnut and coffee run. Wanna come with?" Bethany started to   
say no, but then changed her mind.  
  
"Sounds good, let me go get out of my pajamas.  
  
----------------  
  
As Carey and Bethany walked to the nearby bakery, they made small talk, and quickly realized that they   
had much to talk about.   
  
"So, Annie tells me that you are a med student." Carey said. Bethany nodded.  
  
"Yeah. I want to specialize in Internal medicine. I can't wait to get back to school, but I have another two   
months until break is over."  
  
"That's so cool. Have you always wanted to be a doctor?" Carey asked.   
  
"Pretty much since day one. I remember when I was little, all my friends would get mad at me because all I   
ever wanted to do was play doctor." Bethany said. Carey grinned at her playfully.  
  
"Well hey, if you're up to it, we can play doctor anytime you want." Carey said. Bethany laughed and   
smacked him lightly on the arm.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." Bethany said with a smile. "What about you though, did you always know that you   
wanted to play guitar?"  
  
"From birth. I love it. I can't imagine myself doing anything else. And believe me, I tried to do other things,   
I tried the whole college thing, but...I just wasn't happy. I knew I wouldn't be."  
  
"If you knew you wouldn't be happy, then why did you go? I mean, if you love playing guitar so much, why   
did you try and force yourself to do something else?" Bethany asked. Carey sighed and ran his fingers   
through his hair.  
  
"My parents. They wanted me to do something else with my life. Be a business man or something. They   
still do as a matter of fact. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and dad, but this is one issue we will never   
agree on. They are still upset that Molly hired me to play in her band."  
  
"Give it time." Bethany said. "They'll have to come around eventually. Especially if it makes you happy. All   
parents ever really want for their children is for them to be happy.." Bethany stopped and looked down at the sidewalk. What exactly was she saying? Her father had absolutely no regard for her happiness. Carey looked at her curiously. He wanted to know everything that went on inside her head. She was so different from most of the girls he met on the road. He poked her in the side, about to ask her what she was thinking, when he noticed her squirm a bit. He poked her again, a little harder. She giggled.  
  
"Stop it." Bethany said.  
  
"Uh oh, looks like somebody is ticklish." Carey said mischievously. Bethany moved away.  
  
"I am not, I..." She didn't get a chance to finish. Carey grabbed a hold of her and began to mercilessly tickle her sides. She tried to pull away, but couldn't because she was laughing so hard.  
  
"Carey! C'mon...stop..." Bethany heard Carey laughing, but they both stopped when they heard a new voice enter their conversation.  
  
"What are you kids doin? Makin noise on the street in the morning!" Carey and Bethany looked up and saw an elderly man standing on his porch in his pajamas.  
  
"Uh..sorry sir." Carey said, trying to hold back laughter. He could feel Bethany shaking against him, trying contain her own giggles. The man went back in his house shaking his head. Bethany and Carey began to walk down the sidewalk again, but as soon as they looked at each other they burst into laughter and had to stop and catch their breath.  
  
"See, I knew you were going to be a bad influence on me. You got me in trouble!" Bethany said with mock indignation.  
  
"Well, I guess you will just have to punish me when we get back." Carey said. Bethany grinned.  
  
"Don't think I won't." She replied. They turned and continued their walk to the bakery. Carey slung an arm loosely around Bethany's shoulders.  
  
"I'm so scared." He said.  
  
"You should be." Bethany laughed. 


End file.
